Bolin Tries Matchmaking
by Harryhood 16
Summary: Bolin is astounded that Jinora has never been on a date, and decides to set her up with none other than...Skoochy! Jinora's not so sure what to feel about it, considering her feelings for Bolin... Jinoochy, possibly eventual Bolinora.
1. Chapter 1

Jinora sits alone in the library, immersed in Avatar Aang's sixth journal. She's just about to find out who will win the duel between Katara and Azula when she is rudely interrupted by a Fire Ferret's face in her line of sight.

She sighs. "Pabu...I was just getting to the really good part."

The fluffy creature licks her face.

"No, I can't play with you right now. Go find Bolin. He's probably in the kitchen, as he seems intent on eating us out of hearth and home."

"Hey!"

She turns and sees Bolin, and he looks quite indignant. Jinora laughs and hands him his pet. "Well, it's true."

He laughs, too. "Yeah, sorry."

She smiles and then sits back down. She picks up her book and suddenly she's back in the duel.

_Katara froze the water around them, both of them stuck in slightly uncomfortable positions. She let warm air out through her nose to melt herself and swam around Azula, wrapping the chains around her. When the princess was quite encumbered by her bindings, Katara-_

"Jinora!"

She starts. "What?"

That was, like, the tenth time I said your name!" He says.

"Well," She frowns at him. "What did you want?"

"What? Oh. Um..." He looks ashamed. "I forgot."

She goes back to her book.

_-let the rest of the water fall to the ground, taking her and Azula along with it. Azula looked-_

He's poking her. She slams her book down onto her knees showing a rare moment of annoyance.

"_What?"_

He's taken aback, looking slightly scared. Her face softens and she sighs.

"Sorry. But seriously, what do you want?"

He recovers his usual smile and says brightly, "I remembered what I was gonna ask!"

"And that was?"

He's suddenly bashful, and she can't think of anything except how adorable he is, even at the age of twenty-three.

"Well, there's this girl I like," He begins, and she can feel her throat constricting.

"And?" It's almost a squeak.

His face is practically glowing. "She's so great. She's a really good bender, she's beautiful, she's nice, and she loves to have fun! We've been friends for a while, and-"

"Korra? I thought you were over her." She's pretty sure her voice sounds strangled and her face betrays her pain.

"No, not Korra. We're just friends."

_Oh, good, _She thinks, _At least now I have a chance._

"What?" _Oops._

"At least now I have a chance...to help you without making everything awkward! With Mako...and stuff." Oh Spirits, she can't _talk _around him!

"Oh! Yeah. Anyway, I met her a couple months ago, and I wanna get up the guts to ask her on a date, but I don't want to mess it up. Will you help me?"

She snickers. "What happened to 'smooth-talking Bolin'? Aren't you supposedly really good with the ladies? Being a pro-bender and all?"

He frowns. "Supposedly. But whenever I see her, I get all nervous and stuff. It's different. She's not just some fangirl. She's really special and I want this to be perfect."

"Um, Bolin? You do realize," She says skeptically, "That I haven't never even been on a date in my life? It's pointless coming to me for advice like this."

Bolin is shocked. "You've never been on a date?"

"No. Remember, confined to the island? Reads books all the time?" She holds up Aang's diary as an example.

"Oh, yeah," He says. "Well then. D'you wanna?"

She blinks. "What?"

He's excited. "I'm totally gonna set you up on a date!"

"Bolin, no, wait! I'm fine with-"

But he's already scrambled out the door.

She goes back to her book.

* * *

It's in the middle of a nice dinner of Tofeasant when Bolin turns to Tenzin and asks,

"Is it okay if I take Jinora to a date later tonight?"

The room goes silent and everyone stares at Jinora as her cheeks turn scarlet.

Tenzin chokes on his asparagus and coughs.

"W-what!" He splutters. "Absolutely not! You are six years older than her!"

Bolin's face darkens to a scarlet color to match Jinora's. "N-no!" He exclaims. "Not like – that! She's just never been on a date before so I set her up with my friend who's only a year or two older than her."

Mako groans. "You don't mean..."

Bolin chuckles. "Yep! The one and only... Skoochy!"

Korra cracks up. "Dude. You mean that earthbender who tries to pick my pockets every time I see him?"

Tenzin's face begins to turn an astonishing shade of purple as he rounds on Bolin. "You set my daughter up with a _criminal?_"

"Uh – no – he doesn't do that...anymore. He just picks her pockets as a joke!"

Tenzin doesn't look like he believes this and looks to Pema to back him up. His wife laughs and says,

"I think we should let Jinora go. It'll be good for her to actually interact with kids her age."

Ikki, for once, has been silent thus far. But she takes this opportunity to butt in. "OhmySpirits Jinora's going on a date! Korra we've so totally gotta make her pretty! Momma can help us and she can wear one of those cute outfits we bought her but she never wears and we can do her makeup! OhmySpirits Bolin is he cute? You gotta help us this is gonna be so great come on Jin let's go!" She's pulling Jinora's arm so hard the older girl is surprised it hasn't taken its leave of her body yet.

Korra laughs as she stands up and walks out the door with them, and Mako has nearly the same expression on his face as Tenzin. One of resignation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I was really surprised by the reviews I got for my first chapter! Thanks to all who reviewed. I really appreciate it.**

**In other news, I discovered how to make Author's Notes. And now I can put disclaimers and the like. Well, on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, except Meng. I made her up with my brilliant imagination. Hah.**

* * *

Jinora sighs as Ikki fusses over her hair. At fourteen now, the young chatterbox has already had her fair share of dates, and apparently knows exactly what to do.

"Ikki," Jinora says, pushing the younger girl's hand away, "I don't need you to do this. I'm perfectly fine just-"

Ikki shushes her forcefully and resumes her position as hairdresser. "You can't just look _fine!_ You have to look beautiful! Jin, this is a big deal. It's your first ever date! You'll go to a restaurant, go for a walk in the park, talk about your lives, and at the end of the night he'll kiss you all romantically and it'll be so cute and you'll fall in love and get married and-"

"Excuse me," Korra interjects from her place on the bed. "But isn't this _Jinora's _date, Ikki? Not yours? Stop planning it for her."

"I'm just trying to help," Ikki huffs.

Jinora smiles and stands up, turning to face her sister. "Thanks, Ikki, but I want to see if he'll like me for me. Not my hair or makeup."

Ikki sighs, relinquishing her hold on a butterfly hairpin. Jinora watches as it bounces on the bed, and feels touched that Ikki cares so much. She hugs her and jumps over to the mirror with her airbending, fixing her hair into its usual bun. As she walks to the door, she slips her feet into her favorite silk slippers and motions for the other two to follow her out.

* * *

Bolin is in the living room, letting Rohan climb all over him as he waits for Jinora. The six-year old airbaby has picked up Meelo's fascination with biting people, and chews on Bolin's head, giggling loudly. And when Rohan lets loose an incredible fart that propels him across the room and onto a cabinet, Bolin can't help but nearly collapse with laughter.

"Dude...that...was...awesome!" He wheezes between fits of guffaws. He's still laughing when Jinora walks in. He watches her right eyebrow slide higher and higher as she takes in him on the floor, Rohan on the cabinet, and various windblown rugs scattered about the room. She looks like she's about to ask what happened, when her nose wrinkles and she seems to understand.

"Are you...ready to go?" She asks, moving to fix the rugs. Bolin gets up off the floor and helps her.

"Yes," He says. "We've got about twenty minutes until we're meeting Skoochy and Meng at Firelord Zuko's Plaza."

Jinora stiffens. "Is that the girl you like?"

He shifts his weight from foot to foot nervously. "Yeah. I finally just asked her out when I saw her in the park on my way to Skoochy's."

She forces a smile onto her face. "That's great, Bo."

He smiles anxiously. "Yeah."

* * *

They take Oogi instead of the ferry, and the sky bison drops them off by the docks. Ikki is with them to fly Oogi back and pick them up later. Bolin pulls a pillar of rock out of the ground and it brings him down safely. As Jinora is about to jump, Ikki envelops her into a hug and whispers,

"Have fun! If he tries to kiss you don't pull away cos that's rude but I think you might like it and you HAVE to tell me EVERYTHING when you get home!"

Jinora rolls her eyes, but she's smiling as she pushes her sister away.

"Relax, Ikki. I'll tell you everything." Ikki beams at her and Jinora leaps off as the other girl shouts,

"Yip yip, Oogi!"

She lands lightly next to Bolin and a thought suddenly strikes her.

"Uh, Bolin?"

"Hmm?"

"Does Skoochy know I'm an airbender?"

"Nope! He just knows your name is Jinora."

"Oh. Why didn't you tell him?" She frowns. She hates being dishonest.

He shrugs. "I figured you'd want him to like you for you, and I don't want him to be scared off because you're important or only like you because of your status."

"Oh," She says, surprised. "Thank you for thinking of that."

"You're welcome," He says, grinning.

They walk to Firelord Zuko's Plaza, and Jinora looks at a clock in the window of a nearby shop.

"We've got about ten minutes until we meet them, so I'll be in the bookstore, okay?"

Bolin is looking around – _probably for Meng, _she thinks – and he nods absently, his eyes scanning the crowds of people out for a night on the town.

Jinora frowns at him, but walks into the bookstore, sighing contently as the smell of books assaults her nostrils.

Once inside the door, the chime of the bell announcing her arrival follows her to the romance section, her favorite genre. Having reached seventeen without having a romance of her own, she finds herself reading more and more of them lately, silently wishing she, too, could be swept off her feet by a handsome earthbender with dark, curly hair and broad shoulders, who would carry her off into the-

Spirits, she's starting to sound like Ikki.

She's so engrossed in her search for a good book, perusing the authors, that she doesn't look where she's going, and – _wham!_ – runs right into a solid wall of muscle. She almost falls, until a pair of hands shoots out and grabs her by the waist. Jinora nearly laughs from being startled, until she looks into the face of the one who startled her. He's..._handsome_. He has slightly shaggy hair that is covered by a newsboy hat, and mischief-filled emerald eyes. He's smiling at her, and it takes her breath away.

"Hi," He says, still smiling and holding her by the waist. "I'm Skoochy."

* * *

**That was actually a pain to write. Jeez. Okay, well, I think I'm going to try and upload another chapter tomorrow. But it takes me forever to write chapters, so...I dunno.**

**Once again, thanks to all for the great positive feedback.**

**Also, if you notice any errors, grammatical or otherwise, feel free to let me know! I want to improve my writing as much as I can!**

**Adios, amigos!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi, everyone! I know - everyone's thinking, 'What she's still alive what is this I don't understand-'**

**Because, y'know, everyone's thoughts are really long run on sentences. Or maybe it's just me.**

**Anyway, I haven't updated this since like summer so I thought I would get on it. Yeah.**

**Disclaimer: :'( I own nada.**

* * *

"_Hi," He says, still smiling and holding her up by the waist. "I'm Skoochy."_

Jinora's eyes widen and her eyebrows shoot up. "H-hi," She stammer breathlessly.

Skoochy rights her and releases her waist, leaving a tingling sensation there. "Are you Jinora? Bolin said you'd be the pretty girl in the bookstore." He winks at her and she blushes, looking at her hands.

"Yeah, that's me. Um, Jinora, I mean. Not, um, "the pretty girl in the-" She swallows nervously. "Um, never mind," She says, sticking her hand out. "Yes, I am Jinora."

Skoochy takes her hand, but instead of shaking it, he kisses it, causing her to blush for the second time in thirty seconds.

"A pleasure to meet you," He says. His eyes roam over her face and body, taking her in. "A real pleasure."

She clears her throat uncomfortably. "Yes."

Skoochy grins and offers her his arm, which she takes tentatively.

"So," He says, leading her outside and through throngs of people. "I understand this is to be your first ever date."

she presses closer to him to avoid a vendor with a cart full of cabbages. "Yes, it is. It's kind of embarrassing, actually."

Her date chuckles. "Not't'all. I'm honored to be your first date. Although, I gotta admit, I'm a little surprised."

She eyes him warily. "Why?"

He grins down at her cheekily and says, "One would think such a beautiful lady as you would have men asking you out left and right."

Jinora smiles at the compliment, but snorts. "My father would kill any that tried to."

Skoochy laughs and pats her hand. "You sure know how to make a guy feel at ease."

* * *

Being with Skoochy is easy and effortless. He loves to talk, and Jinora finds herself almost entranced by his voice. It's deep and rumbling, just like the element he bends. She's so intrigued by what he's saying that she doesn't pay attention to where they're going until he stops at the entrance to Republic City's park.

He smiles down at her and say, "Your perfect first date...awaits."

She laughs and he leads her along the path for a while, then cuts through a couple small woodsy areas until he finally pulls her through some tall bushes and into a clearing. She gasps in wonder as she takes in the perfect green grass, the waterfall, and the river running out between a rock that is situated in the dense wall of shrubbery. She guesses the small river is the same one that snakes through the park. Skoochy motions for her to sit on a rock and pulls out a basket from beneath the ground with his earthbending. It, surprisingly, is not dirty, and Skoochy takes blanket from inside it. He spreads it across the ground and they both sit down on it. From the basket he pulls a plate of dumplings that are somehow still steaming.

Seeing her confused look, Skoochy pats the basket.

"It's metal inside. I made it to keep food warm or cold for a certain amount of time. It keeps dumplings hot for up to half an hour." He smiles and sets the platter on the blanket between them.

Jinora is amazed. "Skoochy, that's ingenious!"

He waggles his eyebrows. "Innit?" He winks at her and picks up a dumpling. She does, too, and they both dig in.

* * *

It's two hours later and they're laying in the middle of the clearing. Jinora is pointing out clouds to Skoochy, and he's making up his own.

"See, there," He says, pointing to a bright cluster. "Is the famous cloud 'Cumulo-Jinora'."

She laughs. "Oh?"

"Indeed," He says enthusiastically. "This cloud shape was named after the most beautiful woman in history: a brave warrior named Jinora. She conquered the whole world when it was at war and restored it to peace. It's because of her that the four nations existed in harmony for so long. Alas, she died before the fire nation started the One Hundred Year War, otherwise she would've kicked ass and fixed it before Aang was even born." As he talks, he moves his hands about and she watches them, fascinated. She find it quite endearing how demonstrative he is.

When he finishes his tale, his hands drop to his sides, and this left one comes to rest on her right one. She wraps her fingers around his tentatively, and is delighted when he reciprocates the action.

"That was a good story." She murmurs quietly.

"Thanks."

He's silent for a moment.

"Jinora?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever been kissed?"

"No. I don't talk to boys much."

"Bolin's a boy."

"well, that's different. He acts like my older brother. He'd never try to kiss me." There's a slight bitterness in her voice, and she knows Skoochy can hear it, but he doesn't comment on it; she's grateful for that.

They're silent again, and Jinora finds herself nearly drifting drifting off to sleep because it's so peaceful.

"Jinora?"

"Mm."

"Can I be your first kiss?"

She's suddenly not so tired anymore, and quite glad it's relatively dark out, so he can't see her blush.

"Um." Oh, how articulate. She could die of embarrassment.

"I mean I'd understand if you say no cos we just met like three hours ago, but you're just so great and beautiful and I already like you a lot and – "

"Okay."

"O-okay?"

"Okay."

"...Okay."

He rolls over onto his stomach and props himself up with his hands so he's hovering above her. As his eyes lock with hers, her stomach refuses to stop its acrobatic tricks. He leans down closer to her and her eyes begin to close. But when they're hardly a millimeter apart, her eyes snap open and she whispers,

"Wait."

Skoochy stops and his eyes open, too.

"What?"

Jinora frowns. "I haven't been completely honest with you."

His eyebrows knit together and he pulls his face away from hers. "What do you mean?"

"I'm...I'm not just a regular person."

He chuckles. "Oh, I know who you are."

"You do?"

"Of course. I read the paper, you know."

She blushes. "Oh, right."

They're still in the same position, but he makes no effort to move away. He just studies her face – every inch of it.

"Does it bother you?" She finally blurts. "Who I am?"

Skoochy's gaze flickers to her lips. "No."

She licks her lips and his eyes follow the movement closely.

Jinora smiles. "Would you still like to be my first kiss?"

"Like to?" He asks, grinning. "I'd love to."

He leans down again, but she pushes him off with a burst of air. She jumps to her feet.

"Then prove it!" She says, laughing.

He looks confused for a moment, but his sly smile returns swiftly. "If you insist."

And so begins a game of tag, ending with her feet stuck in the ground and him flying into the river. He surfaces and looks down at his clothes, which cling to him, letting Jinora appreciate the way his muscles ripple as he trudges onto the grass and collapses on the looks to be asleep after barely thirty seconds and Jinora begins to panic. Her feet are still sunken up to her ankles in the ground.

"Skoochy?"

No response. "Skoochy. Skoochy!"

Finally, she uses her airbending to magnify her volume. "SKOOCHY!"

He sits up quickly. "I waz'n sleepin'."

She crosses her arms. "A little help here, please."

He jumps up and saunters over to her, a sly grin on his face. "And if I refuse?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Then I don't get out...?"

"Maybe I'd like that," He says, wrapping his arms around her waist. He rests his chin on her head.

"I'm serious." She mutters into his chest. His wet clothes make her damp and she pushes him away, blowing a gust of air at him. It dries his clothes, but leaves them rumpled and his hair sticking every which way. She giggles at him, and he tentatively reaches a hand up to feel his hair. A look of horror crosses his face.

"Jinora!" He whines. "That took me _hours_ to style!"

"Hm. Right." She bends a breeze at him, tickling his nose.

"Eek, ah! Jinora!" He sneezes. "Stop!" Another sneeze.

"Let me out of the ground and I will." She says, and he hurriedly complies. She steps closer to him and runs her hands through his hair, mussing it even more.

"I kind of like your hair like this," She says quietly.

"Me too, if it makes you do that." He smirks at her and she blushes.

Jinora's hands drop to her sides, but she doesn't move away. Skoochy pulls her closer, hands around her waist, and leans down till his face is nearly touching hers.

"You know," She whispers, "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"I know," He says, and when he smiles, their lips are so close that she can feel it. Her eyes drift closed and she relishes in the feel of his warm breath on her lips.

Slowly, he closes the distance between them, and it's finally her first kiss, and it's better than any book could ever describe. His mouth is moving against hers and his tongue is tracing her lips. She gasps, and he slips his tongue inside her mouth. She's so hopelessly inexperienced but he makes up for it. She never realized how much she was missing until this moment.

She brings her hands up to his chest, and she can feel his muscles as she slides her hands up to cup his face. She decides to take a risk and gently pulls on his bottom lip with her teeth. He hums into her mouth and earthbends a wall out of the ground, pressing her against it with his hands braced on either side of her head. She's shorter than him, and he realizes this, so he sinks his ankles into the ground and leaves her mouth, trailing kisses along her jawline and down her neck. He adds tongue and teeth, nipping at her collarbone and causing her to nearly moan out loud. She's never been touched like this before and now his hand is tangled in her hair and the other is roaming across the left side of her body and it feels so good and –

"Jinora," He says in between kisses on her neck and back up to her mouth, "You're driving me crazy."

She laughs into his mouth, murmuring, "Likewise," and presses her body flush with his, letting her hands roam, too. Her fingers slide up under his shirt and his abs feel amazing under her touch. One of her hands drops lower, skimming the tops of his pants and eliciting a quiet hiss from Skoochy.

She pulls her hand back, confused.

He's nuzzling her neck as he says quietly,

"Seeing as this is your first kiss, I don't think you want to go there yet."

She blushes. "Oh. Um, no. Sorry."

"Don't have to be sorry," He says, "I'll wait for you – as long as I have to."

* * *

**Okay, sorry, I forgot to put an author's note in at the end at first.**

**I just want to say that I have absolutely no idea when I'm going to finish the next chapter and put it up. I've kind of lost my steam, so it might be a while.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed, you guys are great!**

**If there are any spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or anything you think I should revise, let me know! I love feedback, be it positive or constructive (notice I purposely left out negative).**

**I told myself I wouldn't beg for reviews, but I fail miserably. Please, please, review!**

**Also, does anyone even read these authors' notes?**

**Oh well. Thanks again, everyone!**


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